Actuator for telemetric systems



Aug. 3, 1937.. T. J. SMULSKI ACTUATOR FOR TELE' METRIC SYSTEMS INVENTOR. Theodore J Smu/s/fz'.

Original Filed May 18, 1931 AIIQENEE v REHSSUEB Patented Aug 3, 1937 1 its m t 5940 2,088,819

PATENT OFFICE 2,088,819 ACTUATOR roa TELEMETRIC SYSTEMS Theodore J. S mulski, Gary, Ind.,

Anderson Company, of Indiana assignor to The Gary, Ind., a corporation Original application May 18, 1931, Serial No.

Divided and this application December 14, 1933, Serial No. 702,341

4 Claims.

This invention relates to indicating instruments of the class in which an indicating receiver portion of the instrument, or indicator, is electrically actuated by a remotely disposed actuating portion of the instrument, or actuator, the two portions of the instrument being interconnected by a suitable electric circuit.

My invention relates more particularly to instruments of this class in which the indicator 10 is adapted to respond to current impulses transmitted thereto over the electric circuit by an impulse-sending actuator.

The instant invention, therefore, relates more particularly to actuators of this class for transl mitting electric impulses variably in response to the variations of a variable factor. Such actuators may be caused to respond to any variable factor but herein the actuator of my invention is illustrated and described as responding to movements of a movable element through a range of movement, and more particularly to the movements of a float in a liquid tank whereby the indicator may be caused to indicate the level ofv liquid in the tank.

0 provide an improved construction of actuator of the type referred to adapted to transmit to a receiving instrument a succession of electric impulses.

0 Another object is to provide such an actuator having improved means for adjusting the same to compensate for variations in the manufacture and assembly of the parts thereof.

Another object is to provide such an actuator 35 of the thermo-responsive type and having improved means for comfinsating for changes of ambient temperature.

Another object is to provide such an actuator adapted to' be injected into a tank containing liquid and provided with improved means for sealing the tank against egress of liquid therefrom at the point of injection.

Another object is to provide, in an actuator of the class referred to adapted to transmit current 45 to a remotely disposed indicating instrument having a movable indicating element, improved means for adjustably varying the transmitted current to adjust the position of the indicator movable element for any given quantity of the 50 variable factor to which the actuator is responsive.

Anotherobiect is to provide, in an actuator of the class referred to, adapted to transmit current to a remotely disposed indicator comprising 55 a movable indicating element and a. scale, im-

11; is one of the objects of this invention to proved means whereby the actuator may be adjusted to adjust the indicating element to the extremities of its indicating scale, in accordance with preselected extreme values of the variable factor to which the actuator is responsive.

Another object is to provide an actuator of the class referred to provided with adjustment means for adjustably'varying the current transmitted thereby to the indicator, whereby an indicating element of the indicator may be adjusted to either of'the extremes of an indicating scale thereof and each independently of the other. 1

Another object is to provide an improved actuator of the type adapted to transmit current impulses over an electric circuit.

Another object is. to provide an actuator of the type adapted to transmit current impulses over an electric circuit and to vary the said impulses in response to variations of a variable factor, and having improved means to cause the impulses to vary in response to variations of the variable factor.

Another object is to provide an actuator of the class referred to comprising a pair of electric contacts and a thermostatic means for engaging and disengaging the contacts, and having improved means for aligning the contacts with each other and for adjusting their relative positions to a predetermined temperature.

Another object is to provide, in an actuator .of the class referred to comprising a pair of contacts, movable relative to each other to effect transmission of impulses over an electric circuit, an improved means for adjusting the normal relative position of the contacts.

Another object is to provide, in an electric controller, comprising a pair of relatively movable contacts, an improved mechanism whereby the contacts may be adjusted positionally relative to each other by an adjusting tool.

Another object is to provide, in an electric controller comprising a pair of contacts movable to engage and disengage each other, an improved supporting means for the contacts whereby they may normally maintain any adjusted position and whereby they may in an improved manner be adjustably moved to vary their normal position.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains.

My invention is fully disclosed in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: a

Fig. 1 illustrates, in front elevational view and to an enlarged scale, a transmitter instrument or actuator embodying my invention, the view showing also a part of a liquid containing tank upon which the actuator is mounted;

Fig. 2 is a view of the actuator of Fig. 1 taken approximately from the plane 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l but with one of the frame elementsthereof omitted to show interior mechanism thereof;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the actuator of Fig. 1 drawn to a still larger scale and with a cover thereof removed to show inside mechanism thereof;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken approximately from the plane 5 of Fig. 4 and with the said removed cover of Fig. 4 in place;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 taken from the plane 6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken from the plane I of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a view of a pair of bimetallic elements which I may employ and illustrating a step in the method of making the same;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of an adjusting too] which I may employ in connection with the mechanism shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 is a sectional viewtaken from the plane III of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1, I have shown at I an actuator or actuating portion of the instrument of my invention projected into a tank 2 through a suitable perforation 3 in the wall thereof and provided witha float 4 adapted to assume different positions of elevation in correspondence with changes of level of liquid 5 in the tank. The actuator l comprises improved means for sealing the aperture 3 and comprises means for transmitting over an electric circuit,

comprising a battery 5, a ground connection I for the battery, a circuit wire 8, circuit wire 9 and a ground circuit M for the actuator, electric impulsa varying in duration in accordance with variations of liquid level in the tank, the electric impulses energizing and actuating an indicat-- ing instrument I l to indicate on a scale 12 thereof by means of a moving needle l3 the level of the liquid 5 in the tank 2.

The instrument ll may be any suitable electro-responsive instrument, which upon the reception of a succession of current impulses will effect indication upon a scale. The instrument which I prefer to employ is that illustrated and described in U. S. Patent 2,022,441 issued November 26, 1935, for improvements in Electrical indicating instruments, from which the instant application is divisional, and reference may be had thereto for a more complete description of such an instrument.

The mechanism of the actuator l and which will presently be more fully described, is enclosed generally or housed in a casing comprising a shallow cup-form housing II the bottom of which is provided with a large perforation II in which is sealedly inserted as. for example by soldering, a diaphragm l2 constructed from sheet metal and formed of a plurality of concentric corrugations to render the same flexible for a purpose to be described. The open end of the cup is provided with a laterally extending annular flange 13. A cover ll formed preferably from sheet metal is slightly cupped or dished and has a laterally extending annular flange 15 substantially coextensive with and parallel to the flange II. The cover and housing-l4 and 10 are sealedly Joined together to provide a sealed chamber therewithin by a packing washer l6 disposed between the flanges 13 and I5 and by a plurality of screws or bolts ll clamping the flanges together. The flanges l5 and 13 are also provided with a plurality of aligned perforations ll-J8 through which bolts may be projected to secure the actuator as a whole to the wall of a tank such as the wall 2, Fig. 1, through which the actuator is projected. In Fig. 1 such bolts are shown at 19-19 and a packing or sealing washer 98 is disposed on the outer surface of the tank and between the tank and the said joined flanges I5 and 13.

A terminal bolt 8| is projected through an enlarged clearance perforation in the cover I4 and is insulated therefrom by washers 82 and 83 on opposite sides of the cover. The washer 82 is seated in a recess I53 in the inner side of the cover which flts the outer periphery of the washer to prevent lateral shifting of the washer and to hold the bolt in the center of the perforations to insulate it from the cover. When the cover 14 is put in place, the head of the bolt 8| is disposed in resilient engagement with a pair of resilient prongs 84-84 formed on and bent upwardly from a plate 85.

The plate 85 and a sub-base 86 are rigidly secured to the housing 10 by a pair of bolts.8|-8l which not only clamps them on the housing but prevents rotational shifting thereof. The plate 85 and sub-base 86 are insulated completely by suitable insulating washers fill-I50 and by insulating bushings 88 enclosing the bolts 81.

The sub-base 85 extends laterally from the bolts 81 and in an intermediate portion has riveted thereto as at 89 an adjustable support 90 formed from a piece of sheet metal and provided with an upstanding lug 9|.

Riveted to the lug 9! as at 92 is a bimetal compensating element 99 in the form of a link, one end of which is looped around the rivet 92. At the other end of the element 93 it is linked or looped around another rivet 94-, which rivet is also projected through a second link-form bimetallic element 95, which will hereinafter be referred to as a contacting element. The elements 93 and 95 are disposed in a vertical plane. Preferably the rivet 94 is riveted tighter than the rivet 92, so that the two elements, joined at 94 may be hingedly or longitudinally adjustably moved around or upon the rivet 92 to adjustably position the outer end of the element 95, and the two elements may be maintained in longitudinal alignment, by adjustment around the rivet 94 is necessary.

The elements 93 and 95 are of link-form, that is, they have longitudinally elongated perforations therein for the following purpose. As is well known, bimetal in planular or sheet form tends to warp convexly on one side and concavely on the other, and if an element of considerable width such as the element 93 is employed, the tendency to warp concavely transversely would tend to add stiffness to the element to prevent its free bending longitudinally, but by providing the longitudinal slot thereinthe transverse dimension is made relatively small and any tendency to bend in that direction is overcome by the greater tendency to bend in the longitudinal direction.

The longitudinal perforation of the element 95 serves this same purpose and an additional purpose. In devices of this class, in which an element such as the element 95 is to respond to temperature applied thereto by an electric winding,

such as the winding 95 to be referred to, it is desirable that the actual mass of metal be limited to a predetermined amount in order that it may properly radiate heat." But in some instances the desired mass of material may not provide a suitable support for a sufficient length of winding wrapped thereon. By constructing the element 95 with the longitudinal perforation therein, the length of winding 96 whichit will take may be increased to any desired amount within reasonable limits, and the mass of the element determined by the size of the perforation.

The outer or free end of the element 95 is .provided with an electric contact 91. The element 95 is also provided with a heating winding wrapped thereon in the form of an insulated wire 96, one end of which is grounded on the element 95 as at 99, the other end of which is connected by a wire. 99 to the plate 85 as at I99.

A contact support I9I formed from sheet metal has an upstanding lug I92 carrying a contact I93 engageable by the contact 91 and the contact support I9I has a portion I94 disposed substantially parallel to the diaphragm 12, and at the center of the diaphragm is riveted to an axially downwardly projecting arm I95 on the outside of the housing 19, the riveted connection being effected by projecting a reduced portion I96 of the arm I95 through a perforation in the diaphragm 12 and through a perforation in the contact support IN, and riveting over the inner end of the reduced portion I95, washers I91 and I98 being disposed on each side of the diaphragm 12 if desired. The support I91I and arm I95 are thus rigidly connected to the diaphragm 12 and any movement communicated to the arm I95 from the outside, such for example as moving it toward the right or toward the left as viewed in Fig. 6, will move the contact I93 toward or from the contact 91.

The rivet 99 is disposed generally directly under the aligned elements 93 and 95 and intermediate their opposite ends and the rivet is drawn tight enough to prevent accidental shifting of the support 99 on the sub-base 8B,- but the support may be adjustably shifted to rock the plate 99 on the rivet 89 as a bearing, and to correspondingly adjust the position of the contact 91 rotatably around the rivet 89, that is, toward and from the contact I93 as will be understood.

To adjustably move the plate 99, the following means is provided. A notch I99 having generally parallel sides is provided in the support 99; and in the sub-base 89, generally aligned with the notch I99 is a perforation I42. A tool such as indicated in Fig. 9 is provided having a body or shank I43 generally of a diameter slight ly less than the width of the notch I99 and has projecting from the end thereof an eccentrically disposed stub bearing I44. The bearing I44 maybe inserted in the perforation I42 and the body I43 when rotated 'will act as a cam on the walls of the notch I99 to adjustably rotate the support 99.

The adjustment just described is made during the'manufacture of theactuator to compensatefor variations in the form and assembling of the parts and will dispose the contacts 91 and I93 in what may be called normal relative positions. To align the contacts I93 and 91, the element 95 may be raised'and lowered or shifted longis tudinally with the hinging or sliding movements described above.

The general operationof my invention electrically considered will now be described. Current may flow from the battery 5, Fig. 1, by wire 1 to ground and thence by wire I9 to tank 2, housing 19, Figs. 4, 5 and 6, contact I93, contact 91, heating winding 93. plate 35 to external terminal bolt 9|. Thence the current may flow by wire 9 to the instrument II of Fig. 1 and thence by wire 8 to the battery 6.

Heat developed in the winding-96 will bend the contacting element 95 to breakcontact at 91-I93 whereupon flow of current stops, and the element 95 cools off, and returns the contact 91 into engagement with the contact I93. Thus the contacts 91I93 are repeatedly opened and closed causing impulses of current to flow over the circuit described. The impulses of current actuate the instrument II to cause the needle I3 thereof to take up a definite corresponding position on the scale l2 of the instrument.

If the impulses are relatively short in duration, the needle I3 will indicate a point not far from zero and vice versa if the impulses are of longer duration. This results from the inherent characteristics of the receiving instrument which forms no essential part of "the instant invention and may be better understood from the reference to the above-mentioned patent. The duration. of the impulses may be varied by moving the contact I93 to different positions and this in the apparatus of my invention is effected by movement of the support I9I by means of the arm I95 disposed below the diaphragm 12, and means which will now be described is provided to move the arm I95 correspondingly with changes of level of liquid 5 in the tank 2 to cause the needle I3 of the instrument to indicate on the scale the amount of liquid in the tank.

A pair of side plates I I9-I I9 are disposed substantially parallel to each other slightly spaced apart, depending from the housing 19, being supported on the housing by laterally extending feet III-'-I II riveted to the bottom of the housing 19 as at II2 and/or bolted thereto by the bolts The side plates I I9 form supports for a number of mechanism elements pivoted therebetween and enclose said parts to protect them from accidental displacement or injury. The arm I95 above described extends downwardly between the plates, Figs. 2 and 3. Onits lower end it is provided with a rearwardly extending, rounded projection II3 engaging a vertically or longitudinally disposed face II4 on the short arm II5 of a pivoted lever- I I6. The lever I I6 is pivoted as at I I1 to a pair of superimposed preferably identical adjusting elements II8--II8, generally of inverted L shape, and formed from flat sheet metal. As shown in Fig. 10, the horizontal legs of the L are spread apart to provide two spaced portions II9-II9 between which the lever H6 is disposed and to which it .is=rotatably pivoted by the rivet II1 extending through the lever and through the portions II9. In the vertical leg of the L, a vertically elongated slot I29'is provided through which the shank of a bolt I is projected, the nut I2I of the bolt when drawn up tight clamping the side plates I III-H9 together to cause them to seize and grip the elements Il9-I I9 and thus clamp them immovably. On loosening the nut Hi, the plates -II9 may, together as a unit, be moved longitudinally adiustably by means of the slot I29 to vary the vertical position of the lever II9.

The heel of the I, abuts rearwardly upon the head I22 of a rivet having a shank portion I23 eccentric with respect to the head I22 projected through a perforation in one of the side plates I I and riveted over as. at I24. A screwdriver slot I25 is provided in the head I22 for turning it. The head I22 may thus be operated as a cam upon rotating it to rock the elements IIB around the bolt I45 and move the pivot II'I adjustably forwardly and rearwardly. A spring I25 preferably formed from resilient wire is looped over a post I2'I between the side plates H0 and has one end I23 in engagement with a nose I29 on the elements H8, and at its opposite end as at I30 engages the forward side of the arm I05. The projection I I3 is thus maintained always in pressurecontact with the face I I4 and the elements II8 are held in pressure-contact with the screw head I22.

- The lever II has a relatively long arm I3I below the pivot III provided with a contact face I32 preferably disposed substantially in a plane with the face H4. A cam head I33 formed from relatively thick sheet metal is rotatably or oscillatably mounted on a pivot I35 supported by the side plates H0 and has an eccentric camming face I 36 engaging the face I32 of the lever. The cam head I33 extends outwardly forwardly from the side plates and is provided with an extension I31 preferably formed from a wire secured at one end to the cam head and at its opposite end carrying a float 4 of cork or the like.

When the actuator thus constructed is installed as in Fig. 1, the float 4 will rise or fall with changes of liquid level and by means of the cam face I36 will correspondingly oscillate the lever I I5, causing it to take up positions corresponding to the positions of the float, and for each position of the lever N6, the arm I05 will move the contact I03 to a corresponding position, the movement of the arm being communicated to the contact support IN by the yielding movement of the diaphragm I! to which these parts are rigidly attached.

The purpose of the adjustable movements of the elements, IIB above described will now be explained. when the apparatus is installed as in Fig. 1, and when the float is in its lowermost position, that is with the parts in the position of Fig. 3, the corresponding position of the contact I03 may be such as to cause it to engage the contact 91 whereupon current impulses will flow and therefore the needle I3 may be moved from the zero position on the scale. Also, when the float is in its uppermost position, in which condition the contact I03 will occupy its farthest position toward the contact 91, the impulses of maximum duration which correspondingly flow may or may not cause the needle H to take up a position exactly on the "full position of the dial. Also, if the actuator should properly control the impulses to correctly indicate zero and full for one installation, it might not properly indicate for another or similar installation due to differences in the size and/or shape of the tank 2.

It is one of the important features of my invention that the position of the needle I 3 with respect to the scale 54 may be adjusted by adjustments at the actuator and that the said adjustments may be changed at will by manipulations made externally of the actuator and without the necessity of opening it up to get at the mechanism therein.

Referring to Fig. 3, and with the float in the lowermost position as indicated in that figure, the lever H5 will be in its extreme counter-clockwise position, and therefore the arm I05 will be at its farthest position toward the left Figs. 3 and 6,

and the contact I03 at its farthest position toward the right, Figs. 6 and 4. Now, by turning the screw head I 22, first loosening slightly the nut I2I if necessary to take off the clamping pressure of the side plates I I0 on the elements H8, the pivot I I! may be adjustably moved forwardly and rearwardly until the contact I03 is at exactly the correct position to permit the needle 4| to rest on the zero position. This adjustment will be retained by the frictional mounting of the screw head I22 by the riveted over end I24.

The cam head I33 may now be rocked to its extreme upper position causing the cam face I36 to rock the lever I I6 to its extreme clockwise position, correspondingly moving the contact I03 to the position to produce impulses of maximum duration. If the needle I3 then comes to rest off of the full" position, the adjusting elements II8 may be moved longitudinally by means to be described, and by carrying the lever H5 with them, the relative lengths of the lever arms H5 and I3I are changed. By moving the lever II5 downwardly as viewed in Fig. 3, the arm I I5 is made relatively longer and the arm I3I relatively shorter. This will have the effect of increasing the movement of the arm I05 and cor respondingly moving the contact I03 farther to the left, Figs. 4 and 6, and increasing the duration of the impulses to cause the needle I3 to take up a position nearer the full" position. In this manner the needle may be caused to take up exactly the full" position desired.

The described longitudinal movement of the elements H8 is guided by the slot I 20. In the preferred construction, the spaced portions I I9- II9 are disposed in perforations I50-450 in the plates IIOI I0 and to adjustably move the elements I I8, a screw-driver may be inserted in a perforation I50 and between the upper, or lower, edge of theperforation and the horizontal leg of the element I I0 to pry the leg downwardly, or upwardly, respectively. I

It will be observed that the faces III and I32 of the lever I I6 are parallel to the face I30 on the adjusting elements II8, which face engages the screw head I22, so that the longitudinal adjusting movement of the lever IIB does not change its relative transverse position and does not change the adjustment which previously had been effected by rotation of the screw head I22. Thus the adjustment of the needle at the full end of the scale'does not change the adjustment at the zero end. After the nut I2I has been again clamped tight, the adjustment is fixed thereby.

These two adjustments just described may be effected from the outside of the actuator, the nut I2I being freely accessible and the screw head I22 likewise being freely accessible, a perforation I39 in the side plates being provided for that purpose.

The movements of the contacting element 95 are compensated to neutralize the effect of local or ambient temperature, by means of the compensating element 93. Referring to Fig. 4, any tendency of the element 95 to bend toward the left due to ambient temperature is compensated for by the element 93 tending to bend toward the right around the rigid riveted connection 32.

For this purpose it is desirable that the two elements 93 and 95 be formed from sheet metal of the same thickness and that in riveting them together as at 04, one be turned oppositely to the other'with respect to the two diflerent kinds of metal of which they are composed. To insure that the two elements will be of substantially the same thickness in every case so that'the compensating' action may be predetermined, I employ the following process in the manufacture of elements 93 and 95.

These two elements are stamped from sheet bimetal in a single piece as illustrated in Fig. 8, the portion which is to be the element 93 joined to the portion which is to be the element 95 by a thin connecting web I40. This integral structure is retained until at the very moment of riveting the portions together as at 94. At that moment, the two parts are broken apart by severing the web I40, one of the elements is turned upside down and then the two riveted together. By retaining the parts 93 and 95 joined together until the moment of assembly, they are kept in pairs, each pair coming from substantially the same spot in the sheet of bimetal and therefore being of substantially the same thickness in spite of variations in thickness of the sheet of bimetal which may occur from point to point therein.

As an alternative means to compensate for changes of ambient temperature and the effects thereof upon the bimetallic element carrying the contact 91, the following means may be employed. a The winding 96 on the bimetallic element may be made from wire having a positive temperature coefilcient. Then upon a change of ambient temperature, for example a rise of ambient temperature, which would tend to supplement the heat of the winding 96, the temperature of the winding will be correspondingly increased and will increase its resistance resulting in a diminution of current flowing therethrough and in a diminution of the heating effects'thereof. Thus a rise of ambient temperature is met by a decrease of heating current. By proportioning the size and length of the heating wire 96 to the dimensions of the bimetallic element, the compensation may be effected in this manner over a wide range of ambient temperature.

In such cases it may bedesirable to entirely omit the compensating bimetallic element 93.

My invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope and spirit of my invention and without sacrificing its advantages.

I claim:

1. In an electric controller, a main support, an auxiliary support insulated from the main support and adjustable relative thereto, the main support comprising a flexible portion movable responsive to variations of liquid level, afirst contact secured to saidfiexible portion and'movable therewith, and a thermostatic element rigidly mounted on' the auxiliary support by an I will be in correspondence with a given position of the first contact.

2. In an electric controller, a main support adapted to engage the top portion of a liquid container, an auxiliary support insulated from the main support, the main support comprising a flexible portion, a first contact element secured to the flexible portion including an arm depending from and a contact portion disposed above the flexible portion, a second contact including a thermostatic element rigidly secured to the auxiliary support at one end and having a second contact at its opposite end, the second contact being movable toward and from the first contact under thermal change, means engageable with said depending arm for rocking the first contact in correspondence with liquid level whereby the aggregate time during which the contacts are intermittently engaged in a given interval due to thermal change will be determined by the posi- "-tion of the first contact, and the auxiliary support auxiliary support insulated from the main support and adjustable relative thereto, the main support comprising a flexible portion, a first contact element secured to the flexible portion and including a depending arm and an upstanding contact, means engageable with said arm to rock the-contact responsive to variations in liquid level, a thermostatic element rigidly secured by an end to the adjustable support and at its opposite end having a second contact movable toward and from the first contact under thermal change whereby the contacts will be intermittently engaged, the aggregate time of engagement of the contacts in a given interval being determined by the position of the first contact, and the auxiliary support being adjustable to effect bodily movement of the thermostatic element and contact to relatively adjust the contact for a given position of the depending arm.

4. In an electric controller, a main support, an

- auxiliary support insulated from the main support and adjustable relative thereto, the main support comprising a flexible portion movable responsive to variations of liquid level, a first contactsecured to said flexible portion and movable therewith, a thermostatic element rigidly mounted on the auxiliary support by an end thereof and at its opposite end having a second contact movable toward and from the first contact under thermal change whereby the contacts will be intermittently engaged and the aggregate time of engagement at a given interval will be in correspondence with-a given position of the first contact, and the thermostatic element having portions of its length adapted to bend in opposite direction longitudinally responsive to thermal change whereby the position of the second contact will be relatively unaffected by variation in 

